Storms and floods are causing almost 200 sunken wooden war vessels to move.

The underwater skeletons of 185 wooden ships, referred to as ghost vessels, were deliberately sunk or have been left to decompose for hundreds of years.

Over time, the wrecks, which include ships from the Revolutionary War and Civil War, have transformed an area of the Potomac River, called Mallows Bay, into a vibrant ecosystem.

Environmentalists have come to value the ships as a plethora of wildlife make their homes aboard their wooden remains, dense with shrubs and nutrient-rich soil.

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One of the wooden vessels in an area of the Potomac River, called Mallows Bay, in Maryland, USA

The forested cove is home to many species of fish, birds, deer and beaver, among others.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) previously described the 14-square mile area as 'one of the most ecologically valuable' sites in the state of Maryland.

But researchers, accompanied by school children from J.C Parks Elementary School, studied aerial maps of the area, which showed the ships were shifting eastwards, some as far as 20 miles, as reported by Live Science.